OUR PROCESS
OUR PROCESS
OUR PROCESS
PHASE ONE
01 Biblical Scholar Assigned
Every psalm is assigned a biblical scholar as its “guardian.” The guardian is responsible for drafting all academic layers, both to ensure consistency throughout the analysis and also so all layers benefit from the insights gained from all the other layers.
02 Draft and Review
The guardian drafts each of the 13 layers of the Psalm. Each layer (e.g. grammar, semantics, poetics) has an “overseer,” who ensures consistency of a single layer across psalms. Each layer goes through multiple reviews and revisions to ensure the highest quality of scholarship.
03 Summary of Psalms
Once the analysis of all 13 layers is complete, our team (guardian, overseers, and senior team) synthesizes these components to form a clear, rich picture of the psalm as a whole. This summary brings together the rigorous exegetical work of the entire team to show the beauty and complexity of the psalm.
04 Translation Videos Produced
The exegetical work is presented in multiple videos. The Overview video serves as a visual commentary, offering both a big-picture view and detailed insights to support Bible translation.
The Exegetical Issues video explores the three most debated challenges in the interpretation of the Hebrew of the Psalm. It presents scholarly evidence, explains our conclusions, and equips viewers to consider alternative interpretations. The focus is on a rigorous process rather than a single outcome, recognizing that multiple valid conclusions may exist.
05 Translation Aids Produced
After the videos are finished, the Scriptura field team creates translation aids for each Psalm, including translation performance notes and internalization guides.
06 Resource Site Updated
The Scriptura team loads the content onto the resource site including the videos, translation aids, a close-but-clear translation, and the exegetical layers, including verse-by-verse notes.
PHASE TWO
Once the resource site is updated, the next phase can take one of two options: Self-study or Workshop Trainings by Scriptura.
07a Self-study
Bible translation teams and the global church access the exegetical tools and translation aids through the resource website. These resources can be accessed online and also downloaded for offline use in internet-restricted, hard-to-access locations around the world.
07b Workshop Trainings
Preparation
The Scriptura field team of Bible Translation Consultants and staff makes use of all the analysis, synthesis, and videos, to prepare for conducting a workshop with translation teams or advisors.
Short Course for Translation Teams
The field team travels to the workshop location (wherever possible; sometimes over Zoom!) and presents the materials in person, guiding teams through familiarizing themselves with the context of the psalm, internalizing the message of the psalm, and drafting it (either orally, musically, or textually). They work through the translation challenges of articulating biblical concepts in a new language and culture, especially in the domain of performance.
Advisor Workshop
The Scriptura field team trains and equips translation advisors to be able to use all the Scriptura materials with their Bible translation teams without our team being involved in the translation process.
08 Final Results
Translation teams draft, check accuracy, sing, and worship.
Once a team has internalized a psalm, it is ready to draft. Songwriters and poets/storytellers are crucial personnel to draft a psalm that resonates within a culture, using local poetic forms and strategies. If desired, they can transcribe these translations into a written version, as well. At this stage, Bible translation consultants can check the accuracy of the translation. Psalms made into song spread quickly from church to church, so in a short time God’s people will be worshiping using the words of Scripture in their own language.
